PATIENTLY WAITING
a l l Do
Atlanta , GA
unique appeal nces to the creation of a s his difficult life experie [in me] is the ute on trib visi the in see es Jive ggl de e faced challenging stru his deal. “I think what ma to some shit. led t ugh tha thro n e bee typ ost rappers claim to hav I’ve these other rappers. s couldn’t comprehend the like cee not em I’m st la. t mo Dol tha s t yet fac say s, ” live sic, ir the one, ress that through my mu Dolla has faced. Since day I’ve seen a lot and I exp a of hardships 20-year-old As tle. bat ill uph an is his year, II has persisted through ous rapper believes 2008 age five, he Roderick Anthony Burton h, while he survived. At some time, but the ambiti The Fuck birt o en at tak “Wh d le It’s ishe sing per d n iste twi age ass his newborn, t in front of him, and at Montay-produced, T-Pain righ DJ ugh his ide his h tho suic wit And mit and be. com l er wel witnessed his fath ransplant began ionwide, it may very nta-raised, Los Angeles-t Is That” getting airplay nat to retain substance ms clai also he , one l 10, the Chicago-born, Atla mercia knows his single is a com hustling on the street. ft. cra his in rify trying to glo of the house, and I’m not chains, the jewelry, “I realized I was the man things: the cars, and the I’ve been financially ily. fam my of e car e tak “I do talk about the flashy stresses. “I’m he rt,” la. hea Dol s the say for ,” sic what I did, but I had to old mu rs the hoes. But I also got sisters since I was 13 yea se niggas that and the and of m mo one my be na ting wan por ’t sup towards longevity. I don g kin ple to see what wor peo the t has wan I g street perils, one thin just want to be accepted. and I es go. ggl and stru e his com of all However, through a career in music. Dolla: His desire to pursue I see.” remained a constant for s. “That’s always been say he ,” now rs yea opportuten for sic mu ng doi n bee And A Dream stands as his e “I’v ing debut album A Dolla om upc His .” // . my passion of his acclaim nity to prove he is worthy up with two fellow young ked hoo er form per n tee At age twelve, the pre up performed at ed Da Raskals Cru. The gro Words by Eric N. Perrin d a record deal rappers from ATL and form lan to ugh eno ive ress imp was and ws sho nts local tale with Elektra in 2001.
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During the group’s stint at Elektra, Dolla met a gifted but slept-on singer named Akon, who at the time was producing for the label. The two upand-comers became friends, and when Elektra closed in 2003, Da Raskals disbanded, while Akon’s journey was slightly more storied. Yet the relationship Dolla formed with Akon was a lasting one, and eventually Akon not only signed Dolla to his Konvict Muzik imprint under Jive Records, but also gave the young’n his one imprint, The Gang Entertainment. “I’ve been knowing ‘Kon before ‘Kon was ‘Kon, so when he got an opportunity to put me on, he did that, and he believed in me,” acknowledges Dolla. “He gave me the chance to not only be a rapper, but also a young mogul.” The rising ATL rapper at-
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